Another Chicago Water Tank bites the dust

Posted on April 18, 2023 by danieldschell

We lost another Chicago Water Tank this month.

The water tank atop Greek Islands restaurant at 200 S Halsted Street in Greektown was issued a demolition permit March 3rd. By the 12th, it was gone, leaving only the steel supports as a reminder of its existence. That, and the photos we have of it.

Better take photos of those that still remain, and soon. They’re an endangered species in Chicago.

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Tank and tower in the West Loop

Posted on July 2, 2018 by danieldschell

727 West Madison stands stoic behind the painted water tank at Morgan Mfg.

I like construction. I like Chicago Water Tanks. So it made me slightly giddy to see 727 West Madison lined up perfectly with the delightful water tank atop Morgan Mfg at 401 North Morgan Street in the West Loop. I thought I’d share it.

Gone but not forgotten: Chicago Water Tanks no more

Posted on June 27, 2018 by danieldschell

The Clinton Street Lofts water tank is gone. wth? pic.twitter.com/oa4PF5BVKW

— Building Up Chicago 🏗 (@BuildUpChicago) December 29, 2017

Chicago’s water tanks are back in the news, thanks to a report from WGN’s Lourdes Duarte. I started scrambling to find what photos I didn’t lose in the Great Hard Drive Debacle of 2017. Here are a few tanks that have come down from the skyline in recent years.

***If you get really bored, you can do a fly-over tour of Chicago on Google Maps and find water tanks in older views that are still on the map, but have since been demolished. You’ll find a lot more than I have pictured here.

: The W.M. Hoyt Building, 465 W. Cermak Rd.

: 114 S. State St.

: 404 S. Wells St.

: 412 S. Wells St.

: 1217 W. Washington Blvd was just demolished, along with the rest of the building.

: Archer Daniels Midland grain silos, 1300 W/ Carroll St.

: 1500 N. Halsted St.

: Clybourn Lofts, 1872 N. Clybourn Ave.

: What is now The Ronsley, at 676 N. Kingsbury St.

: 2515 S. Wabash Ave.

: Clinton Street Lofts, 226 N. Clinton St.

: 1882 S. Normal Ave.

An October Flag Crane Tank shot, featuring Chicago’s newest tower crane

Posted on October 6, 2017 by danieldschell

Chicago’s newest tower crane, our 34th in the sky right now, provides us with today’s American Flag-Tower Crane-Chicago Water Tank shot.

We’ve been on this block before and featured the same flag and tank.

Sterling Bay is responsible for both the tower crane, now at work for Leopardo Companies at 210 North Carpenter…

..and for the flag, which sits atop Venue One at 1034 West Randolph.

The water tank is atop 1035 West Lake Street.

Goose Island and Wicker Park team up for a Friday Flag, Tank, and Crane

Posted on September 8, 2017 by danieldschell

A goose island water tank, back by an American Flag and a tower crane in Wicker Park.

Your Flag, Tank, and Crane shot for Friday, September 08 features:

The water tank at Carbit Paint, 927 West Blackhawk Street

The American Flag atop 1200 North Ashland Avenue

The tower crane working on the Wicker Park Connection, 1640 West Division Street

A better view of the Carbit Paint water tank.

A better view of the Wicker Park Connection tower crane, and the flag atop 1200 North Ashland.

Three flags, a water tank, and a tower crane in the Prairie District

Posted on July 29, 2017 by danieldschell

You get a 3-fer in the latest edition of American Flag, Tower Crane, Water Tank.

The flags fly above New City Alfa Romeo at 2401 South Michigan Avenue.

The water tank sits atop Motor Row Gallery at 2345 South Michigan Avenue.

The tower crane is lifting heavy stuff at the Triple-branded Hilton Hotel project at 123 East Cermak Road.

A subtle twist on the Flag Tank Crane

Posted on June 23, 2017 by danieldschell

American Flag, Water Tank, and Caisson Rig along the Lake Street elevated tracks.

A strong indicator of future tower cranes is a present caisson rig. Stalworth Underground has a couple of them on site at Lake and Green Streets for the Hoxton Chicago hotel. Get off the CTA Green Line train at the Morgan for a great view of an American Flag, a water tank, and a caisson rig. A caisson rig with the Stars & Stripes attached, that is. It’ll be a tower crane soon enough.

The Chicago Water Tank and American Flag sit atop East Bank Storage, 730 West Lake Street.

Ten months after the demolition permit, a Chicago Water Tank disappears

Posted on June 20, 2017 by danieldschell

Very little remains of the water tank at 809 North Racine Avenue.

It held on as long as it could. So long, in fact, that I had forgotten to be vigilant. But a Sunday stroll along Grand Avenue, a peek to the north, and it was gone. The Chicago Water Tank at 809 North Racine Avenue has been demolished, reduced to little more than a kiddie pool.

Since I’d stopped paying close attention, I don’t know when it happened, but I can only assume it was last week. And there’s still some work to be done on it.

Slated for demolition back on August 30 of 2016, this tank had staying power.

We can no longer be amused by you.

Another Chicago Water tank gets permission for repairs

Posted on June 9, 2017 by danieldschell

Will repairs to the water tank at 1622 West Carroll Avenue include removing the tags?

Yesterday, we looked at the scaffolding around the water tank at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in River West. And now, news of another tank that’s being repaired instead of removed: 1622 West Carroll Avenue in West Town. The City of Chicago issued a permit for repairs on June 1.

The general contractor tasked with this unique fixer-upper is Karl Natschke Construction of Woodstock, IL. And this being a water tank, it seems appropriate to point out the plumbing contractor as well: Discovery Plumbing & Heating, of Lansing, IL. Thanks to those two contractors, and to Sassafras Enterprises, the owners of the building, for saving another Chicago Water Tank.

: 1

: Taggers have gotten to the north and south faces.

: The Permit.

As promised, the Salvation Army water tank is under repair

Posted on June 8, 2017 by danieldschell

Repairs are underway on the Salvation Army water tank at 509 North Union Avenue.

As you may have read back in March, the water tank above the Salvation Army Thrift Store at 509 North Union Avenue in River West was issued a restoration permit. Now, scaffolding surrounds the tank as the promised repairs are underway. The work is being done by Pinnacle Development of Forest Park.

Always nice to see a water tank being saved, isn’t it?

: Pre-repairs.

: The restoration permit.

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An Eye on Chicago Construction.

Category Archives: Chicago Water Tanks